This invention relates to a discharge means for a storage container for flowable material such as freely flowable such as powder or granular material, for example grain, or material of restrictive flowability or cohesive material, for example cement, damp sand, sludges, coagulative, or fibrous materials or the like, hereinafter referred to as a silo.
Hitherto a silo has been provided with a downwardly converging discharge portion which defines an entry chamber in communication with the silo interior and having a generally cone-shaped obstructing member disposed therein to define a ring-shaped discharge passage between the base of the cone shaped member and the converging discharge portion and means being provided to vibrate or otherwise agitate the discharge portion and/or the cone-shaped member to facilitate discharge flow of material through the ring-shaped passage.
Such discharge means suffer from the disadvantage that bridging of the material may occur or, alternatively, material may flow from the centre only, inducing core flow, and either of these disadvantages can lead to inconsistencies in the discharge.
An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved discharge means in or for a silo.